


Baby Don't Cry

by Anonymous



Series: The World Park Chanyeol Only Knows [3]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - TWGOK, Fluff, M/M, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22845163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: The one where Joonmyeon is an idol, Chanyeol couldn't care less about it, and Yura just wants an autograph
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Park Chanyeol, Park Chanyeol & Park Yoora
Series: The World Park Chanyeol Only Knows [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642279
Kudos: 22
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

"AND THE WINNER OF THE 22ND IDOL CHAMPIONSHIP IS...  
....  
.....  
…..  
KIM JUNMYEON!" The announcer shouted, pointing to the winner. 

Kim Junmyeon had fluffy, dark brown hair, a wide smile framed by full cheekbones and pale, unmarked pretty skin. He was beaming with happiness, tears flowing as he just couldn't believe his fate. Only in high school and he had already won this prestigious honour. Eight long, hard trainee years filled with blood, sweat and tears had finally paid off. Applause and earsplitting cheers filled the studio audience and the home of one Park Chanyeol, where Yura was currently watching the live broadcast. 

"YAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! JUNMYEON WON!!!!!!! I'M SO HAPPY!!!!!" Yoora screamed, jumping up and down. 

Ever since Yoora had been in Chanyeol's class, she was well-liked for her sweet demeanour and cute looks. She was quickly introduced to South Korea's pop culture scene and quickly became a fan of Kpop, most noticeably Kim Junmyeon, a fast-moving rookie who was extremely popular. Chanyeol just rolled his eyes as he went back to playing his games. So far no alerts of runaway spirits had sounded and he was hoping it would stay that way. 

"Tch, real-life idols. What a boring relic of the real world." 

"WHAT DID YOU SAY." Yura's nostrils flared up in anger, daring Chanyeol to trash talk her idol. 

"Let me teach you something useful.” 

Once again, Chanyeol had dramatically pushed up his glasses and pointed dramatically at Junmyeon on the T.V. 

"In the real world, idols can only go down. They age, their voice starts getting shitty, their looks go down and they are all but quickly replaced by the next idol, who will also age, and get ugly and lose their talent. That's only the best-case scenario. Sometimes idols even turn to drugs, or get involved in sex scandals, or are just bad people in general. For real-life idols, its a cycle of death! But for game idols, it's a cycle of rebirth. First, there was the pixellated idol, who didn't even have a voice to sing with, then the idol was given colour and a real body, after, a voice actor was given and the idol could move around. Hatsune Miku was the first game world idol to debut and now a slew of beautiful, forever innocent and young 2D idols have been born. FOR GAME WORLD IDOLS, THE ONLY WAY IS UP." Chanyeol shouted, fisting clenching in determination. 

"NO!" Yura shouted 

"YES!" Chanyeol retorted. 

"NO!" 

"YES!"

"WILL YOU PLEASE GIVE ME SOME PEACE AND QUIET!" Chanyeol's mother shouted. 

Yura had manipulated her memory to think that Yura was always part of the family in order to stay as Chanyeol's sister. While a usually sweet and caring mother, she was particularly irate at the constant bickering of Chanyeol and Yura, but she loved them all the same. Secretly Yura was now her favourite has she made a fine, polite daughter. She was glad she finally had someone to talk to, instead of her basically absent son. 

"Ugh, you're such a depressing guy." Yura pouted, opting to watch Junmyeon sing instead of Chanyeol again ranting about how the game world was better than the real world. 

Her eyes shone brightly as she watched Junmyeon sing. His voice was really so pretty...He was so pretty. Yura sighed and continued to watch, as Chanyeol continued to play his games and another uneventful night had passed in the Park household. 

"Oh my!" 

That was all that could be said of the hallway as the bell rang for lunch. It was absolutely packed with people, carrying varying degrees of camera equipment as well as students on their highest alert. Almost everyone was positioned around the hallway as if an invisible runway was in the school. 

"Umm, Baekhyun, what exactly is happening today?" Yura asked, tapping Baekhyun, who was also one of the students prepped to take pictures. 

"Oh My God, Yura don't you know?" Baekhyun's mouth fell in shock. "Kim Junmyeon is coming back to school." 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Yura had promptly fainted as Baekhyun snorted and went back to his post. 

"Ahh, it's been so long since I've been here..." Junmyeon whispered aloud. 

He was alone, on the school rooftop, prepping himself for the hundreds of fans waiting for him in the school.  
"I just really can't believe someone like me has reached such a status!" He smiled happily, clapping his hands together. "Seven years... everyone knows my name... Well, I just hope I don't make a bad one for myself hahahaha...." He trailed off, watching the clouds lazily float across the sky, unaware of the dazzling talent beneath their nose. "I'll definitely be sure to impress, no matter what happens. I guess I'll never go back to my old, boring, nobody life. But that's fine by me!" He spun around gleefully and almost tripped as he noticed that he wasn't the only one on the roof. 

Chanyeol had escaped up to the rooftop, unaware and uninterested of the arrival of Kim Junmyeon. All he wanted was some peace and quiet to play his dating games and was oblivious to Junmyeon talking to himself right in front of him. 

"Oh My! I'm sorry, I must seem like a crazy person, talking to myself and you just happened to pass by. Hahahaha..." Junmyeon bowed to Chanyeol, who finally looked up. 

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Chanyeol's eyes were blank, completely unaware that THE Kim Junmyeon was talking to him.

...

...

...

"Hahahahaha, I...I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Not everyone should know me. I'm still just a rookie after all..." Junmyeon bowed his head, chest erratically rising and falling as Chanyeol stared, waiting for an answer before deciding it was too much of a bother and going back to his game. 

Quick as a flash, Junmyeon pulled out two stun guns and ran straight into Chanyeol's stomach, where he dug the stun guns right into his belly button.

Chanyeol and Junmyeon’s screams clamoured together in the wispy air as the clouds hovered over, watching in amusement. 

"MMMMPIOHGLIAUWRHGFLSDHFJKDSALHF!” 

Chanyeol was close to foaming at the mouth from the strong shock of stun guns being driven into him by this crazy guy. No, he didn't remember saying anything offensive, so why did he feel like his guts were going to be fried and pushed out of the back of him like some grotesque sausage stand?

“EIGHT YEARS! EIGHT YEARS AND THIS IS ALL I GET FROM IT! EIGHT FUCKING YEARS, DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT I WENT THROUGH TO BECOME THE IDOL I AM TODAY. WHY? AM I JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH? AM I JUST A PIECE OF TRASH, READY TO THROW AWAY WHEN THE NEXT, PRETTIER AND MORE TALENTED PERSON COMES ALONG? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO M-" 

A loud ringing shot through the confines of this torturous scene as Junmyeon quickly put away the stun guns and pulled out his phone.

"Ah! Change of plans." He muttered while turning away, before abruptly turning back to Chanyeol. Chanyeol watched in terror as Junmyeon smiled in a sickly saccharine fashion and asked in a sing-song voice. 

"What's your name?"

"P....P...Park....Ch..Chanyeol..." He trembled, immediately regretted sharing any personal information with this dangerously violent psycho. 

Junmyeon turned his back to Chanyeol and quickly fiddled with something before he bent down and grabbed the now charred and completely drained Chanyeol, helping him up to his feet.

“Well, well, well, Park Chanyeol. Prepare to be defeated." Junmyeon smirked, a glint in his brown eyes as he turned back to a helicopter which had suddenly appeared to chauffeur Junmyeon to his "change of plans". 

Junmyeon was now a speck in the sky as Chanyeol lied back down on the concrete base of the school rooftop, feeling worse than when he had marathoned a slew of dating games for 5 days straight. 

Unaware of the crowd of students dashing up to the roof, shouting "AHHHH, Junmyeon was right here and we missed him!", he closed his eyes, and felt nothing. 

"Mr Park! Mr Park! Can you hear me! Dear, Brother! Please don't die!!" Yura was violently shaking Chanyeol as he waved her away and slowly supported himself on his elbows. 

"What... Happened?"

"Well, all I saw was that Junmyeon's helicopter had flown away and you were passed out!" Yura looked over Chanyeol in worry, and a sudden voice rang out. 

"Park, I swear to GOD if you did not get any pictures of Junmyeon I will flay you down to the bone!" Baekhyun whined, towing along a perpetually sleepy Jongin. 

"Umm, I've already died today, so if you can wait until tomorrow, I'll be ready then." Chanyeol laid back down on the concrete, scowling as his memories of Junmyeon's surprise Pikachu attack had come rushing back, as did the pain in his body. 

"AHHHHHH!" Baekhyun clutched at his hair, while Jongin patted his back in an attempt to console him. "Good-for-nothing geeky virus!" Baekhyun huffed off in annoyance, as Jongin shrugged in apology to Yura and Chanyeol, then walked off with Baekhyun. 

With the help of Yura, Chanyeol had stood up, and started brushing himself off when suddenly, he felt a hard, plasticky case in his pocket. If his PFP was in his other pocket, then what was this?... 

He pulled out an album, with none other than Junmyeon's sweet smile plastered as the cover. 

"WHAT! This is his new, only going to be released tomorrow album! AHH! I'm so jealous!" Yura whined. 

Chanyeol, however, was less than thrilled, as he gripped the case, taking the beaming face as an insult and a challenge. CD cover Junmyeon mocked him behind his wide smile and dark brown eyes. 

"Damn, that bastard, He must've slipped this in when he was pulling me up." Chanyeol thought, wishing to drop it off the school roof. "Why did he even give this to me?" He turned the case over, as Yura cried out again, seeing her game obsessed brother getting a SIGNED, UNRELEASED album from KIM JUNMYEON. 

The message, however, was far from fan-friendly. 

[Park Chanyeol, You better come to the school roof tomorrow at lunch, or I will find you, and I will taser you.  
Signed, Kim Junmyeon. <3]

"The fucking audacity! What the hell is with the heart? And I'm probably going to get tased either way!" Chanyeol roared, almost crushing the album before Yura wrestled it out of his hands and hugged the album tight to her chest. 

"You've gotta go! I don't want to see you like this, it breaks my heart, seeing my dear brother in pain." Yura sniffled. 

"Please, cut the crap. You just want to tag along to see him." Chanyeol narrowed his eyes, while Yura giggled nervously, hiding her face behind the CD.


	2. Chapter 2

Amidst the excitement of it all, they almost don’t catch the high pitched ringing of Yura’s skull clip. 

“Yura…. Please, I’m begging you. Please don’t tell me that’s what I think it means…."

“He’s hosting a runaway spirit!” 

Chanyeol groaned as Yura morphed her raiment into a screen. 

“Kim Junmyeon, born on the 22nd of May, 1991, height, 1.73m. The student idol that makes a sudden comeback.”

Yura sighed as she scanned the file on Junmyeon. 

“I never thought he’d be our next target.” 

“Can we just pretend we didn’t notice? Getting involved with him is going to be trouble.” 

“Ehhhh?”

“There’s only one thing I hate more than 3D people. And that’s 3D people with taser guns. HE ERASED ALL MY DATA WITH THAT TASER ATTACK!” 

“Our lives literally depend on chasing after the runaway spirits!” Yura whined. 

“Why do the spirits always have to possess the weirdos.” Chanyeol sighed in defeat, the cold, hard collar around his neck weighing like the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was hard enough, capturing the spirits hiding inside Jongin and Sehun’s hearts. This time? A school idol like Junmyeon, plus a dash of stun guns! Chanyeol bitterly wished he’d never accepted the stupid demonic contract. 

“'Runaway spirits can only be forced out with love' my ass!" Chanyeol thought. 

————Elsewhere—————— 

“Great work Junmyeon.” 

“Nice going today.”

“Thank you for working with us!” 

The clamour of praise surrounded Junmyeon as he walked through the studio. He politely bowed and thanked everyone. 

“He’s so serious and nice, it’s almost a bit much isn’t it?” 

“Well, either way, his songs are nice, looks are nice, at this point there’s nothing to worry about anymore.” The executives nodded in affirmation as Junmyeon proceeded to his appointment with Park Chanyeol. 

——————After school, on the rooftop——————

“Thank you for coming. I know this is impromptu, but I hope you stay until the end” Junmyeon nervously smiled, with a large overcoat on and a makeshift stage behind him. 

“Awfully polite for someone who threatened me to show up.” Chanyeol thought, gritting his teeth. 

“I will have to make this quick, as my manager will kill me if she finds out.” Junmyeon whipped off his overcoat to reveal a professional-looking tweed suit, covering a billowy white dress shirt. 

“I will defeat you here!” He shouted in resolution as the first few notes of SEDANSOGU started up. 

Chanyeol looked on in stupor as Yura’s eyes sparkled. Being so close to her favourite idol was making her head spin. 

The sound of his singing rung through the school as students were wondering where SEDANSOGU was being played. 

“Park Chanyeol. You’re making me nervous.” 

“The only one who won’t acknowledge my existence.” 

“But I will make you. I will definitely turn you into a fan!” 

He looked over at Chanyeol, who was cooly staring at his screen, completely ignoring Junmyeon. 

After noticing the lack of vocals, Chanyeol nervously looked up. “It’s alright to just listen to the song right?” 

With dead eyes, Junmyeon pulled out his stun guns and Chanyeol yelped in fright, ready to high tail it out of there if he got any closer. 

Suddenly, Junmyeon stopped his advance, and turned away, yelling “You better come back here tomorrow!” 

“I don’t know why but thankfully I’m safe.” Chanyeol took deep, heaving breaths. 

“You’re so cruel you know, why can’t you appreciate what he’s doing for you?” Yura huffed, jumping out of her hiding spot. 

“Yura you idiot, love conquests are supposed to be a challenge.” Chanyeol adjusted his glasses again. “If the event is too good, it is usually a poison flag, a trap!”

“For someone like him, an idol would usually be extremely hard to meet, so it’s best to just ignore it. Also he damaged my PFP.” Chanyeol turned away, calling it a day.

“That’s probably the main reason.” Yura thought sadly, wondering how Chanyeol would pull it off this time. 

The day after, Junmyeon performed again for Chanyeol. 

“I will be performing a new, yet to be released single today” Junmyeon resolutely said. “Please listen to 사랑, 하자 (Let’s Love)” 

“To ignore or not…” Chanyeol furrowed his brow in thought, trying to determine how best to capture Junmyeon’s heart. 

“I feel confident today like I could even perform in front of thousands.” 

Junmyeon huffed as he danced and sang on the stage. 

“That’s right. I’m not the old, plain me anymore. People will appreciate me. People will love me. Because I am now an idol!” He thought happily as he finished off, bowing and looking up, eager to see Chanyeol’s reaction. 

Chanyeol was sleeping. 

Albeit fake sleeping, as he tried his hardest to make it seem like he was ignoring him. 

With this, it seemed that Junmyeon finally cracked. He sunk down on the stage, eyes lowered, head bowed, and exuded a lost, insecure aura. It seemed as though his very body started to waver. And waver it did, as the fog from the fog machines swirled around Junmyeon. 

He was becoming transparent! Only a faint outline of him could be seen, along with his desolate mumbling of “No good.” 

“Somebody like me… No good…” 

Chanyeol and Yura tentatively approached him, anxious as to what was causing this anomaly of logic and space. 

“It’s all the same. Back then and even now. So plain, so forgettable…” Junmyeon’s voice trembled.

“Nothing has changed! I’m still invisible...”


	3. Chapter 3

The lights of the stage flickered as Chanyeol and Yura ran to the stage, astonished at what they saw. 

“Junmyeon’s disappearing! Wahhhh what do we do???” Yura cried. 

“Calm down, he’s still there, albeit just a faint outline…”

They hear Junmyeon start to mumble. 

“No…No…..No one’s listening to my songs….” He whispers. “No one’s listening to me…Just like last year…And the entirety of middle school….” 

He suddenly yells out. “NOTHING HAS CHANGED! I’M STILL INVISIBLE!” 

Chanyeol’s mind races, trying to come to a solution. Just like that, realisation flashes through his thoughts like a bolt of lightning. 

“No! You’re wrong.” He shouts in reply. “I wholeheartedly listened to your song!” 

Junmyeon glares at Chanyeol, stun guns raised in attack mode. 

“YOU! WERE! SLEEPING!” 

“NO! WAIT! I…. was…..the song….was so entrancing that I was brought to heaven by your singing.” He tries his best to pull a sincere face and waits. 

Junmyeon stops with a dazed expression on his face, and finally backs off, lowering his stun guns. 

“Brother, are you alright?” Yura runs to Chanyeol’s side, where he’s sunk down on the ground, trembling all over. 

“I survived…” He croaks out. 

They both watch Junmyeon’s retreating figure. His body is still translucent, though not as much as before. 

“You can’t keep ignoring him you know! He’s getting really dejected because of it.” Yura huffed out. 

“I’m not doing this because I want to. I’m doing this so I can understand what his problem is.” Chanyeol’s voice starts to return. 

“You went that far just for that?” 

“Of course!” Chanyeol pushes up his glasses yet again, ready to give another gaming lecture to Yura. 

“Problems are the essentials of a person’s character!” He points at nothing in particular. “Even if you have to sell your soul, you've got to understand them! I’m going to continue doing what I’m doing, even if he’s insane.” He shudders at that. “I’ve got at least a 50% grasp of the problem, I’ll just have to keep seeing him…” 

Yura exclaims. “Even if you say that, seeing Junmyeon is no easy feat!” 

“Then, we just need to fully understand the problem and see if things go wel-“

Chanyeol’s muttering is interrupted by a sudden DING and buzzing from his pocket. He reaches in, fishing out his PFP. 

[One New Mail!] flashes up on the screen. Yura and Chanyeol exchange a bewildered look and open it. 

———A few days later, at KBS New Wing Open Hall ———

Chanyeol is standing on the first-floor lobby of KBS, in front of a still very transparent Junmyeon. 

“He’s still pretty, bad…” Chanyeol thinks “Is this the work of a spirit?” 

Junmyeon makes the first move. “I’m so boring aren’t I?… Did my song move you?” He moves closer and closer to Chanyeol, shuffling like a zombie, and it’s taking every ounce of Chanyeol’s courage not to run screaming. 

“Yeah…. It’s a great song!” 

One terrifying pause later… 

Like an overflowing water bottle, all of Junmyeon’s colour and solidity rush back, and his face lights up. 

“Really?!” He beams. “Oh thank the lord! I couldn’t concentrate at all because of that!” 

He jumps around before suddenly halting. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, it’s been a while, I just can’t stay calm."

“I was so surprised to find your Email address on my CD case! You must’ve slipped it in my pocket!” Junmyeon pulls out the CD and waves it around for emphasis. “Erm…. I was wondering… If you wanted to exchange numbers as well….” He stares up at Chanyeol with expectant, glowing eyes. “I don’t really have any… friends at school. You’re the first person I’ve really talked to!” 

“….Sure…..” Chanyeol replies but feels uneasy. 

No sooner had they swapped numbers, than his phone had buzzed multiple times.

[Please take care of me!]  
[Please take care of me!]  
[Please take care of me!]  
[Please take care of me!]  
[Please take care of me!]

“Please take care of me!” Junmyeon waves goodbye to Chanyeol as he rushes off to prep for his stage. Chanyeol is left standing there, wondering how this particular route is going to go….

——— The next few days ———— 

It’s torture. 

“Sorry to call you over, I felt really uneasy.” 

“Sorry to call you over…. The recording failed…” 

“Sorry to call you over, I’m so scared! If I fall from the diving platform…Oh gosh, I can’t swim!” 

“Sorry to call you over, my bed hair just isn’t going down…” 

36\. 36 times a day. That’s how many messages Chanyeol gets from Junmyeon. All of them requesting him to appear at Junmyeon’s side. At this point, he needs Yura to drag him with her magical raiment to the outside of Tongyeong Concert Hall. 

“Chanyeol~ Over here!” Junmyeon shouts, waving energetically. 

“He doesn’t seem to be down this time.” Chanyeol thinks, stumbling towards Junmyeon. 

“Chanyeol, today I’m doing a live performance here.” He says, excitement shifting into determination. “Around ten thousand people will come. This is the first time I’ve performed in such a big place.” 

“That’s…that’s great,” Chanyeol replies. 

“It feels like a dream. People are actually coming to see me! I’m not some nobody anymore. I’m worth something! I’m somebody!” 

“Fair enough.” Chanyeol half replies, too preoccupied with his latest dating game. 

“Ugh, you’re always on that thing! Did you even hear me?” 

“Yeah…” 

Junmyeon huffs, falling into annoyed silence until he hears the faint sounds coming from Chanyeol’s earphones. 

“Hey! That’s my song!” He rips an earphone out to confirm. 

“Chanyeol listens to my songs!” 

“St-stop it… It’s just preparation…” 

Junmyeon leans over Chanyeol, staring directly into his eyes. 

With a coy smile, he asks “Are my songs good? If they’re good, praise me!” 

Chanyeol is red as a tomato, and all he can bring himself to do is pat Junmyeon on the head. That seems more than enough for Junmyeon, as he smiles warmly and bounces right up, rushing off towards the performance hall and waving goodbye. 

“Wow… You’re awesome! The plan’s going perfectly, I mean, head pats?” Yura giggles. “It’s like he’s basically been kissed, he’s so happy! The emptiness in his heart must nearly be filled!” 

Chanyeol is lost in his thoughts, still solving the puzzle that just ran off. “It feels like there’s something missing…” 

Their silence is interrupted by loud shouting and people scurrying around the entrances. 

“Where’s Junmyeon!”

“We can’t find him!” 

“Did he go missing?” 

“We have to find him before the concert starts! Fans are already starting to line up” 

And just like that, everything falls into place. 

“Here it comes, I can see the ending.”


	4. Chapter 4

“What the heck! Junmyeon disappeared? He was fine when you were with him though!” Yura panics. 

“Shut up and stay calm. The plan is right on track. This is the last event.” 

Chanyeol turns to Yura, an expectant look firing up in his eyes. 

“The most important thing we have to do is find Junmyeon!” Chanyeol’s voice starts to rise. “This last event, I won’t let anyone get in my way! That's the principle of any dating game!” 

“But we can’t see Junmyeon! How’re we going to find him in such a huge place?!” 

“Check every person!” Chanyeol starts to take off, with Yura not far behind. "But make sure to be subtle about it.”

They race around, crashing into fans and staff alike, trying to suss out Junmyeon’s whereabouts. Faces blur and the sky gets darker as the minutes pass by, every second they don’t find him is a second wasted. The sun has all but set, and the fans have all been herded into the concert hall, but Junmyeon is nowhere to be found. Yura and Chanyeol are exhausted, and sit down on a nearby bench, craving rest. 

“He’s nowhere…” Yura puffs out. 

“If we don’t find him before the concert starts or if someone else finds him, then it’s all over…” Chanyeol sighs. “But how the hell are we going to find a person we can’t see…” 

At that moment, Yura suddenly burst out. “Brother! We can use the spirit sensor!” 

“…I really wish you would’ve told me this earlier.” 

As if right on cue, the sensor goes off, and Yura jumps up, running off while shouting “He’s near here!” 

Chanyeol decides to rest a bit more, before noticing something from the corner of his eye. 

It’s Junmyeon. 

And he’s transparent. 

Chanyeol can see the street lights flickering through his body, but a faint outline still lets him know that it certainly is Junmyeon, out here, instead of in the hall, where he should be starting his concert. He’s crying, tears streaming down his face while he pathetically sniffles. 

“Jun-Junmyeon…” 

Junmyeon jolts at that, looking up to see Chanyeol. 

“Chanyeol!?” Junmyeon shouts. 

“What are you doing here? Don’t you have a big performance tonight?”

“Y-Yes but…” Junmyeon trembles, shaking as he clasps his hands together. “But…. I….But….”

“You’re still afraid right? That you won’t be noticed?” 

It’s game time. 

"When you became an idol, you knew people would finally start noticing you. But you always felt uneasy. If you didn’t get enough attention, or enough praise, that ’transparent’ feeling would appear.”

Junmyeon looks up in surprise. 

“Yes... Yes!” A small amount of energy returns to Junmyeon’s voice. “Chanyeol, you know everything about me!” 

“I-It’s just a coincidence, this kinda happened in a game I play-“ 

He’s interrupted as Junmyeon barrels into his stomach, but his time, he clings to Chanyeol in a tight hug. 

“Chanyeol! Please stay with me forever!” He sobs into Chanyeol’s shoulder. “Give me courage, keep watching me! I can’t please everyone… I’ll probably disappoint everyone tonight as well… But if you’re here, at least… then I…” 

Junmyeon leans ever so slightly into Chanyeol, lips inching ever so closer to him, just like how it usually ends.

“No.” Chanyeol declares, sticking his tongue out. 

“…No…?” 

“Are you just gonna accept what other people say? Don’t you have your own resolution?” Chanyeol looks Junmyeon straight in the eyes. “If you keep doing that, you’ll be transparent forever!” 

He grabs Junmyeon by the shoulders. 

“Stop relying on other people!” He shouts. “I… I think your songs… are pretty good. But you should use your own power to shine!” 

Tears start to well up in Junmyeon’s eyes again as he weakly replies. “I don’t have any power. It’s impossible for me to do it alone…” 

“You do have power.”

At that, Junmyeon starts to notice a buzz in the air. Hundreds, no, thousands of people, steadily chanting away. 

“JUN-MYE-ON!”

“JUN-MYE-ON!”

“JUN-MYE-ON!”

It echoes all around them, different voices all coming together to shout for Junmyeon. 

“Even if you’re not there, your fans still demand for you.” 

Junmyeon stands in a daze, listening to the chants, listening to Chanyeol. 

“It’d be unfair, keeping you all to myself.” Chanyeol finishes. 

Junmyeon closes his eyes and takes a step back. 

“I….Even though I’ve always sung for someone else… I’ve never regretted it.” 

In the blink of an eye, he leans back into Chanyeol, eyes wide and sparkling. 

“Thank you.” 

The kiss itself is nothing extravagant, just a chaste peck on the lips, but it feels as though the whole world has shifted. An immense pressure feels like it’s been lifted off the both of them. Junmyeon races back to the hall, and Chanyeol trails behind. He can see all the colour and solidity rush back into Junmyeon, and a runaway spirit being ejected from his body. 

"Yura will probably take care of that.” He thinks to himself. 

When they reconvene in the concert, she shows him the jar with the runaway spirit and gives him two thumbs up. They stand, squished together in the packed hall of Junmyeon’s concert. He’s performing his final song, 'Self Portrait'. And as he belts his heart out, it almost feels like a magnificent light is engulfing everything. The audience, the stage, the song. But most importantly, it’s engulfing Junmyeon. He shines so blinding bright, finally free of the shackles of his dark burdens. 

“Brother…Junmyeon is wonderful. He’s shining so bright, we almost can’t see him.” She then nudges him, a smirk on her face. “Do you now have a better opinion of real idols?” 

“Don’t be stupid.” He scoffs, looking to the side. “Besides, Junmyeon isn’t an idol anymore. He’s shining all on his own now, brighter than any idol… He’s a star now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY SUHOLO (Suho solo)!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON IT BBY, YOU DESERVE IT KING! Glad I got this out on the big day! Thank yall for reading this, and make sure to stream ’Self Portrait’! 😄


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